The past few days I have been thinking about the small amount of time that I had spent with him, and how in knowing more about him, I know more about myself. I have very few memories of my dad when I was really little. I was taken away from my mom around the age of 12, lived in a group home, for I think about a year (?), and then moved to live with my dad's side of the family.
My dad lived in Seattle, but moved back to Simi Valley shortly after I moved in with my Aunt Onorina (his oldest sister). I have many memories of him during this time. All good. I think that he had spent many years being a single man, that he did not know how to be a father. He made an effort to take me places and spend time with me, but when it came to talking about "how much I liked boys"..... well.......he shut down that conversation very quickly, and now I understand why!
I remember washing his car almost weekly, because he was quite the ladies man!
Wink, Wink!
LOL!
If I could be more like my dad, these are the characteristics I saw in him, that I would want;
~He never met a stranger.
~He loved everyone he met.
~He treated everyone like family.
~He was a hard worker, very dependable.
~He seemed to be very easy-going, I can only remember one time that he ever got mad, that
actually scared me.
~He was very funny.
~He always tried to lighten another's bad mood.
~He showed love physically, he was a hugger, he let you know verbally that he loved you.
~He was sympathetic to other's needs/hurts.
*Seen through my child-like eyes, obviously no one is perfect, he had his flaws and his struggles, but my love for him, could only see the good in him.
1976~ mom, dad, and me
1977~ mom, dad and me
1996~ Sheldon's first birthday, my dad's first trip back to Ohio, since I was a baby.
My dad, with his long time girlfriend Rosie.
Five years ago, at the funeral.........
Maybe the only good that came from this day, was meeting all four siblings from my dad's first marriage. (Angie, Maria, Albert, Patty, & Me)
There was a natural bond there, as if I had always known them.
My Uncle Ernesto, and my brother Albert.
Me~getting to know my sister Angie.
Onorina, in the middle.
5 out of 19 siblings that my dad has/had.
Cleyo...the only quiet one, in a room full of Italians.
A small amount of my very "LARGE" family, after the funeral.
3 comments:
Was fun to read and see pictures. Thanks for letting us in on some of your history.
The interesting thing is, many of the qualities you listed in your dad - the ones you want to be true of you - I would have used to describe you! :)
Thanks Charity, as with looks, I am a good mix of both my mom and dad, I can be a quick-tempered, which I think that I get from my mom. But because of my mom's illness, I do not think that I could list her personality traits, because the illness is/was what characterized her, at least in my memories of her.
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